Ali Al-Rashid

Ali Al-Rashid is a member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, representing the second district. Born in 1967, Al-Rashid worked as a lawyer before being elected to the National Assembly in 2003. Al-Rashid affiliated with the liberal National Democratic Alliance, but left the coalition on November 23, 2008.

On November 6, 2006, the parliament voted 22-15 to approve severing diplomatic ties with Denmark over the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy and spending about US$50 (€39.20) million to defend the prophet's image in the West. Both votes were nonbinding, meaning the Cabinet does not have to abide by them. Al-Rashid voted against cutting diplomatic ties, arguing that Muslims have to be positive and remember that it were some individuals, not governments, who insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Rashid was quoted as saying, "We here in Kuwait curse Christians in many of our mosques, should those (Christian) countries boycott Kuwait?"

On December 19, 2006, parliament voted 39-20 to reject a bill that would have seen the government write off $27bn of its citizens' private debts. Al-Rashid voted against the bill, accusing its proponents of succumbing to pressure by constituents so that they would be re-elected: "It is very easy for me to become a hero and to forget Kuwait, public money, the interest of our children and future generations."

on May 13, 2007, Al-Rashid, who heads parliament’s human rights committee, was quoted as saying that servant abuse is an “exception” and some maids “make up” stories of abuse to get out of their contracts. However, he conceded the government must act more quickly to guarantee prompt payment of laborers and punish companies that “harm Kuwait’s reputation,” by not meeting their obligations.

On January 22, 2008, the parliament voted 27-19, with two abstentions, against the impeachment of Education Minister Nouria al-Subeih.

In the lead-up to the vote, Saleh Ashour, Ali Al-Daqbaashi, Musallam AlـBarrak and Hussein Muzyed spoke against the minister while Al-Rashid, Khalaf Al-Enezi, Mohammed Al-Sager, and Adel Al-Saraawi spoke in her defense.

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